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Amstel Gold finish line change

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Jul 16, 2010
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Netserk said:
And yet it was too difficult for Gilbert :rolleyes:

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Why would he peak for Tirreno-Adriatico?

Nor am I sure what Chieti has to do with this. Gilbert has by far the fastest time on the Cauberg and has shown he can win solo even if the Cauberg is 2km from the finishline.

theyoungest said:
That's of course not relevant to the discussion.

More prestige = better field and at their best shape(more or less)
 
Jul 16, 2010
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theyoungest said:
Did Sagan peak for Tirreno?

Gilbert's program is a little bit busier than Sagan's. ;)

He rides all the Ardennes classics while Sagan just did AGR.

And I don't think Sagan had a real peak during the spring season last year. Gilbert obviously reached his peak at the Ardennes classics in 2011. Sagan was more or less at the same level throughout the spring last year.

Wouldn't he have won the AGR uphill sprint by several bike lengths otherwise?
 
El Pistolero said:
Gilbert's program is a little bit busier than Sagan's. ;)

He rides all the Ardennes classics while Sagan just did AGR.
That's a load of bull. Qatar, Oman, Strade Bianche, Tirreno, MSR, E3-prijs, Gent-Wevelgem, RVV, AGR... how many more races should Sagan ride before you consider it a busy schedule?

And I don't think Sagan had a real peak during the spring season last year. Gilbert obviously reached his peak at the Ardennes classics in 2011. Sagan was more or less at the same level throughout the spring last year.
Gilbert's form seemed alright in the Tirreno 2011 as well. He can only win on a steep hill when he's on super duper form, Sagan apparently has more natural talent for these walls.
 
Dec 3, 2012
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theyoungest said:
That's a load of bull. Qatar, Oman, Strade Bianche, Tirreno, MSR, E3-prijs, Gent-Wevelgem, RVV, AGR... how many more races should Sagan ride before you consider it a busy schedule?


Gilbert's form seemed alright in the Tirreno 2011 as well. He can only win on a steep hill when he's on super duper form, Sagan apparently has more natural talent for these walls.

Why are you talking only Sagan and Gilbert?Why not Purito,Vanendert or Gasparotto(last year's winner).
 
Jul 16, 2010
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theyoungest said:
That's a load of bull. Qatar, Oman, Strade Bianche, Tirreno, MSR, E3-prijs, Gent-Wevelgem, RVV, AGR... how many more races should Sagan ride before you consider it a busy schedule?


Gilbert's form seemed alright in the Tirreno 2011 as well. He can only win on a steep hill when he's on super duper form, Sagan apparently has more natural talent for these walls.

Gilbert rides all those races and then the Ardennes classics. So how is it a load of bull that his schedule is a bit busier? ;)

You can sure base a lot on one single event during a race. So if next year Sagan doesn't win on Chieti does that mean he lost all his natural talent? ;)

Gilbert's form was alright during the Tirreno in 2011, but he was much better during the Ardennes classics. He barely won an uphill sprint against Ballan during Strade Bianche... 2 months later and he was winning on Mur de Huy with several bike lengths. There was no such increase in Sagan's performance during the spring season.

Gilbert peaks for the Ardennes and that's that. He's still a few kg too heavy during the Ronde van Vlaanderen. Which happens to be Sagan's main goal of the season alongside Milan-San Remo. So his peak should be earlier than Gilbert's.
 
Jun 18, 2012
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I think it's going to be a good thing. The Cauberg is still going to be the decisive attack point, but an extra 2km afterward will change things up a little.

But I don't think competition was the reason for the change. They're looking for ways to make the race more profitable. From the CN article:
It also has better logistical capabilities, with more room for media facilities and a VIP village.
 
Dec 28, 2012
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theyoungest said:
Here Leo van Vliet says that it's not just the finish line that changes, they'll do an 18 k lap with Geulhemmerberg-Bemelerberg-Cauberg after it. I wonder why the media didn't pick up on that, that's a far more important change.

So the entire final of the race has been altered.

The news did not came out yet because this change is not made official to the puclic yet.

Iteresting to see how this change will effect the way that the favorites make the race before the Cauberg climb. In the last couple of years almost everybody waits until a final attack on the Cauberg. Now we can maybe see earlier attacks with a more select group to go to the finish line.
 
Jun 11, 2011
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Worlds proved that the last 2k were meaningless. a pretty big group hit the base of the Cauberg and the 3 riders that went over the top were the same 3 at the finish, and on that day (and a good percentage of days every year) the wind was coming from Germany so once over the top it is a pretty fast 2k with a bit of downhill and excellent road surface.
also there is much more room for the whole finish line village up there.
 
Leendert82 said:
The news did not came out yet because this change is not made official to the puclic yet.

Iteresting to see how this change will effect the way that the favorites make the race before the Cauberg climb. In the last couple of years almost everybody waits until a final attack on the Cauberg. Now we can maybe see earlier attacks with a more select group to go to the finish line.
I'm not sure, Geulhemmerberg and Bemelerberg are not that hard. It would have been better to do the Keutenberg one more time in the final ;)
 
Dec 27, 2010
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CobbleStoner said:
Worlds proved that the last 2k were meaningless. a pretty big group hit the base of the Cauberg and the 3 riders that went over the top were the same 3 at the finish, and on that day (and a good percentage of days every year) the wind was coming from Germany so once over the top it is a pretty fast 2k with a bit of downhill and excellent road surface.
also there is much more room for the whole finish line village up there.

Kolobnev was 2nd over the top IIRC....
 
Jul 19, 2011
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From what I read the road they're going to use to the finish after the Cauberg isn't the same road they took in the world championships, but rather one they used when the Tour de France visited a few years back. Is there any difference really or are both options basically just false flat?

Either way I like the change. I've really got fed up with Amstel the last few years. I remember when I first saw it in 2003 and 2004 they were more exciting and the attacks were made earlier, but it's ended up mostly being a glorified uphill sprint on a hill that isn't as testing as the Mur de Huy, with 250km of riders just marking each other over 30 meaningless hills. Liege is just raced so much more aggressively, you can see how much tougher it is and how much more riders want it. I enjoyed the worlds last year though so perhaps this change will help make Amstel a better race again.

With the likes of Degenkolb and Sagan we could have in the next few years riders capable of winning Roubaix and Amstel in back to back weeks. I can't even think of the last rider in with a good shot at both.
 

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